Rudolph's Ever After Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm a big fan of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer film from 1998. I plan to watch it after my prime rib dinner Christmas Eve. Or maybe I'll just write this fanfic then do that. I loved the movie though one thing I wish it expanded on was Rudolph and Zoey's life after they returned to the North Pole.

Rudolph landed back at the North Pole happily, glad. The red sprite started the welcome back song which honored him as the guide to Santa's Sleigh. It had been a rough ride through Stormella's Storm. Rudolph was slightly surprised to see the Snow Witch herself there with Ridley and one of her wolves. But he also saw the one that mattered the most to him. Zoey stood with her parents and Arrow. Rudolph smiled at his cousin and former bully who was joining in the song as well. The son of Cupid was smiling, though his eyes still shined with arrogance. Maybe that was just the way they were.

Rudolph remembered when Arrow had approached him after he'd gotten the flyer's medal.

Flashback:

Rudolph stood with red cheeks after getting the medal, congratulations from his friend, and a kiss on the cheek from Zoey. But then another voice spoke up.

"Hey!"

Rudolph turned and saw the speaker.

"Arrow!" Zoey exclaimed, her onyx eyes narrowing as she saw her ex-buckfriend. "What do you want? If you're hear to say something bad to Rudolph I'll-

"I'm not!" Arrow said quickly. "I… uh… came to apologize."

"Huh?" Zoey was surprised.

Arrow slowly approached them.

"This a friend of yours red?" Slyly the fox asked.

"No," Rudolph said. "He's my cousin… but we're not friends."

"Yeah," Arrow said. "Look Rudy… I mean… Rudolph. I'm sorry for always giving you such a hard time, calling you a reject, and being a bit of a… okay… a lot… of a bully. I thought that a freak reindeer couldn't be a flyer. But I was wrong. You're not a freak… or a reject. You're just different."

"It was kind of my fault," a voice said.

An older buck entered the room.

"Uncle Cupid!" Rudolph said.

"Hello Rudolph," Cupid greeted his nephew. "I'm sorry for all the trouble my son gave you. I told him when he was a yearling that he was born to be a flyer just like him. But it seems those words made him get an ego. I didn't teach him any of the virtues of being a true flyer. Courage, character and a heart that's true. He is lacking in all of those regards. He bragged to me about how he'd cheated in the first round after they were done. I went to Santa and told him. So now Arrow.

"I heard you saved Zoey from Stormella, Rudolph. That was brave. I probably would have just left her alone," Arrow said. "You're a better reindeer then I. You deserve to be a flyer."

"Wow. Thanks Arrow," Rudolph said.

"If you want to hit me… go ahead," Arrow said, lowering his head.

"No thanks. All is forgiven," Rudolph said.

Arrow looked up in surprise.

"Rudolph isn't one to hold grudges," Zoey said.

"That's good," Cupid praised. "That shows you have a true heart and character."

Arrow smiled at his cousin. "Well… congratulations cousin. I might need some reconditioning but you wait. I'll be a flyer one day too!"

"Good luck!" Rudolph said cheerily.

End Flashback:

After the song ended and they moved onto other of the older Christmas songs, Rudolph was allowed to walk freely. He approached Zoey who smiled at him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey yourself," Zoey said. "I hope the flight was okay."

"Well after we got out of the storm it was alright," Rudolph said.

There was a silence. Rudolph rubbed a hoof against his foreleg. He knew that she'd kissed him on the cheek. Twice now. She'd even wanted him to kiss under mistletoe and told him he meant everything to her. But he wanted to her say it.

"Um… Zoey?" Rudolph started. "I was wondering. Are we buckfriend and doefriend now?"

She nodded. "Of course we are."

Rudolph smiled, his face lighting up like when she'd kissed him on the cheek before Arrow walked in, just like he interrupted their kiss under the mistletoe as yearlings.

"I liked you for a long time. But my parents didn't want me to be the doefriend of a Reindeer with a… oddity," Zoey said. "So they set me up with Arrow. I dumped him after he cheated in the first round of the games and said you couldn't be a flier because of your red nose."

"You did?"

She nodded. "I'm glad he learned his lesson though. Maybe he will be a good flier someday."

"Well… we'll see what happens. All I know is… with you by my side… I'm sure it will be a bright future."

He lit his nose, causing her to giggle.

"Still… not as bright as your nose!"

"Rudolph! Zoey!"

Stormella came their way.

"Hi Stormella," Rudolph said.

"Hello," Zoey said, a little uneasy even though she knew her former captor was good now.

"I'm glad to see you both made it back to Christmas town safe," the former evil ice queen said. "You nose is quite a powerful light Rudolph. That was my biggest storm yet."

"So I guess things are okay between you and Santa now?" Rudolph said.

"Oh yes! Now that I'm good, Mrs. Clause invited me to the party. I was actually surprised when the invitation came up with that new ice sculpture. I almost feel like I don't deserve it."

"Well… you have changed thanks to Rudolph's wish," Zoey said, managing a smile. "Still… doing some good things to make yourself feel better never hurts."

"Yes… I think that would be a good idea to atone for what I've done. I mean… wanting to hurt those two elves for messing up my ice garden was over the top. It was an accident after all… I should have just asked Santa to have them sculpt new ones for me," Stormella said. "From now on I'm going to use magic to spread happiness like Santa uses his."

"That's good," Rudolph said.

Stormella walked off, getting ready to return home. Slyly and Leonard approached now.

"I'm glad you're back Red!" Slyly said.

"So are you guys gonna be going too?" Rudolph asked.

"Yeah back to my cave," Leonard said. "Too bad you're staying here Rudolph. I could use a little company there. It was a good adventure over these past few days with all of you. Best time of my life! I'll definitely come back and visit here to see you two though."

Rudolph and Zoey nodded. The four friends put their paws and hooves together.

"Thanks for being my friends you two!" Rudolph said.

"And thank you for saving me when I was locked in Stormella's dungeon!" Zoey said.

"And thanks for showing me that the truth works," Slyly said.

The polar bear and fox walked off, leaving the two reindeer alone.

"You wanna take a walk?" Zoey asked.

Rudolph nodded. Since he'd gotten back he'd been the talk of the party. It would be nice to get out for some fresh air. The young couple went outside to the pair of giant candy canes where…

"You remember when we here the first time?" Zoey asked.

"Yeah, this is where you said you wanted to be my friend."

"Yeah," Zoey said.

She looked up. As she hoped there it was. Mistletoe.

"We're under mistletoe again," she said.

The two teenaged reindeer turned to each other, both leaned forward. Their lips connected as they shared a true couples kiss.

Ten years later:

Zoey lay next to her newborn fawn. She was now an adult and mother, both she and Rudolph had grown to full sized Reindeer, with Rudolph having a large set of antlers as well. The leader of the flight team looked down at his wife and daughter proudly. The fawn was a lovely young doe with the usual brown fur, and spots on her side. She'd even inherited her father's red nose which blinked as she looked at her parents.

"How about… Ruby?" Rudolph said.

Zoey smiled. "I think that fits her!"

Blitzen nodded as he looked at his granddaughter with his wife.

Ruby squealed as though agreeing. She looked up at her father, and then slowly rose to her hooves.

"Oh Rudolph, look!" Mrs. Blitzen said.

"She's already on her hooves, just like you son," Blitzen said.

Rudolph smiled fondly. He didn't remember everything clearly, but his parents had told him he'd taken his first steps and then fallen into the hay before his nose lit up for the first time. He came over to his daughter first this time, bringing his head down and nuzzling her. She smiled and cooed, then her nose lit up.

A few weeks later… Rudolph and Zoey brought their daughter out of the shelter of their home. They watched as she played in the snow by herself for a while. Then the other reindeer arrived. Arrow and his wife along with their fawn.

"Hey Rudy, Zoey!" Arrow greeted. "This must be your little one!"

"Yep, Ruby!" Rudolph said.

Arrow looked down at the fawn with a smile then turned to his son.

"Well Sport… go play with your cousin! And be nice!" Arrow said.

The two fawns immediately began to frolic after each other as their parents watched.

The End.

Merry Christmas Eve from 2021! It was fun to write a little after ending here. Please read and review. I wanted Arrow to make sure her would raise his son to be a better Reindeer. Hope I got the characterizations right. Ah well, I can correct anything after I watch the movie.